Boston Stream Party highlights local music with Halloweekend double feature

Boston Stream Party is a live, online music festival highlighting local bands. After two successful single day festivals, BSP is adding a second night to the festivities. For this iteration they have crafted two socially distanced evenings of music, fun, and a little bit of Halloween spirit. The full list of artists, dates, and times for the show are listed at the bottom.

“This is a collaboration with many local bands we think are extremely talented. This communal digital space gives acts a chance to connect with their fans while fostering an atmosphere to discover new music. We see this as an opportunity to bring curated live music to the public en masse virtually, while still cultivating fan and artist interaction. Beyond this, it is a way for local bands to expand their reach beyond the local audience to cities and towns across the world. All of this is free, fully live, and brought directly to the viewers via social media.” - BSP producers 

The first Boston Stream Party Music Festival was held on May 23rd on Sound of Boston’s Instagram and featured Mallika Vie, Meiwei, Slow Dress, Alec Hutson, Gentle Temper, Nico Rivers, Walter Sickert, Sun Parade, Bryan McPherson, and Courtney Swain of Bent Knee. Boston Stream Party was able to bring together bands to perform, bridge the digital divide with their fanbases, and tell stories during a time when artistic connection feels more distant than ever, all while still maintaining healthy social distancing.

For the second festival they teamed up with Avidia Bank to bring 7 acts to Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company’s Facebook and Instagram on July 18th. The show featured an eclectic mix with Air Traffic Controller, Avanti Nagral, We Demand Parachutes, Elisa Smith, Amir Rivera (of Los Elk), Carissa Johnson, and Amber Ais performing. 

For this special 2-day edition of Boston Stream Party, playfully called “Boston Scream Party” the team is bringing back the delightfully spooky Walter Sickert, to join headliners Ashley Jordan, and Planet Mercury, as well as local favorites Jason Ebbs, Eva Davenport, and The Q-Tip Bandits. There’s bound to be some spooky treats and surprises.

BSP is made up of Mike O’Donnell and Sean Kelly. Both longtime veterans of the Boston music scene, they have come together to try their hand at bringing local music global with online music festivals and a digital venue, “Boston Stream Party”. A venue “jack of all trades” and an old radio guy, with over 20 years of combined experience in the music, festival, and events industries, the timing seemed just right to bring what they love to an online audience. Their hope is to increase the presence of local acts, and make clear to the world what they know to be true: great music starts at the local level. The BSP motto is, “Play local, listen global.” 

The first performance starts at 7pm on Halloween night, Saturday, October 31st. Headliner Ashley Jordan will close out the night. The following evening kicks off again at 7pm, with a costume contest taking place before the headliner Planet Mercury hits the stage. Both evenings are live on the Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company Instagram and Facebook accounts. (@exhibitabrewing)

SHOW SCHEDULE 
Saturday, 10/31, 7:00pm, Jason Ebbs, Surfer Rock
Saturday, 10/31, 7:30pm, Eva Davenport, R&B Soul 
Saturday, 10/31, 8:00pm, Ashley Jordan, Country Rock
Sunday, 11/1/2020, 7:00pm, Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, Folk Rock 
Sunday, 11/1/2020, 7:30pm, The Q-Tip Bandits, Rock, R&B, and Funk
Sunday, 11/1/2020, 8:00pm, Planet Mercury, Pop Punk 

Jason Ebbs, 10/31, 7:00pm

Jason Ebbs is a 22 year old independent artist from Boston creating a blend of alternative, garage, and beach rock. His first EP 'Familiar Villains' was released in May of 2018 and the debut album 'Superego' in June 2019. With the help of band members Johnny Dalton, Patrick Dalton, and Eli Olson, Ebbs and company have had the privilege of spreading their sunny Summer vibrations throughout the Boston area for the past few years and always strive to create beachy bliss for anyone listening.  

Eva Davenport, 10/31, 7:30pm

Boston Music Awards Nominated Vocalist and R&B Artist of 2020: Eva Davenport, is a shining star to look out for. Through soulful vocals, inspirational lyrics and powerful stage presence Eva constantly inspires her listeners to follow their passions and higher life purpose. 

‘A voice that not only gains your attention, but soothes your soul’ – BNN’s Fahrenheit TV. 

Go to Evadavenportmusic.com to listen and learn more!

Ashley Jordan, 10/31, 8pm

Country music might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Boston, but Harvard Square busker turned rising goddess of twang Ashley Jordan might be out to prove you wrong. –The Boston Globe

When it comes to writing slice of life songs and then singing them from the heart, Ashley Jordan is in a league of her own.  Born and raised in Harvard, MA, Ashley spent her summers in the Ozark Mountains listening to and singing country music.  At only 13, she convinced her parents to allow her to travel to iconic Harvard Square in Cambridge where she and her guitar set up shop on a street corner. The shy girl came to life in front of an audience and Ashley found her calling. By the time she was 16, Ashley was touring New England with her first album of original songs.  Four albums later, she is a seasoned live performer who has played to crowds as large as 40,000 opening for everyone from Trace Adkins to The Beach Boys to Billboard Chart hit-maker Jimmie Allen, to the legendary Charlie Daniels Band. Driven to succeed in a business she loves, Ashley has scored major market airplay, a first-round Grammy nomination, two unprecedented back-to-back Country Artist of the Year wins at the Boston Music Awards and was twice named a top 10 finalist on Nash Next. With the upcoming release of her fifth album, Ashley Jordan is perched at the edge of stardom. 

Newest Release - “Gone Girl”

My song Gone Girl has been in the works for many years. It’s one of those songs that I tossed around in my head for a while, put it away, and then approached it again years later. I started by telling the story of someone who was basically falling apart from a failed relationship – but then it morphed into something more personal about how easy I felt it is to walk the line of insanity when you feel your life is falling apart over love-gone-bad. It happens all the time – we put everything we have into loving someone and when it doesn’t work out, the fallout is devastating. But it was important for me to share this song because I wanted to address the fact that we humans often try to hide our pain and devastation behind a smile - and I wanted to acknowledge that sometimes the end of a relationship can literally push someone over the edge. The music video for Gone Girl was directed by the incredible Paul Travers of Big Picture Media, and visually/creatively captures the essence of my newest single release!

Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, 11/1, 7pm

Walter Alice Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys an apocalyptic party in space that starts on Earth and jettisons out through surrealist multiverses into rabbit black holes straight through the psychedelic maw!

The Q-Tip Bandits, 11/1, 7:30pm

The Q-Tip Bandits are like your favorite pair of socks. They wrap you up, hold you tight, and help you walk a little bit lighter. 

Since their inception in early 2018, The Q-Tip Bandits have emerged into the Boston music scene as an energetic and vibrant act that continues to touch the audience's hearts while getting them up on their feet. Their smooth yet powerful sound is backed by the raw energy of rock and the coolness and colors of R&B and funk - with grooves coated with savory, soul-inspired riffs, anthemic horns and meaningful lyrics. With their songs, The Q-Tip Bandits aim to capture the freedom and joy that are found on the other side of hardship, and to show that happiness is not a light that is void of darkness, but a balance of the two.

Planet Mercury, 11/1, 8:00pm

Planet Mercury gets around.  Since their start in 2017, they have brought driving riffs coupled with sarcastic-yet-melodic hooks up and down the East Coast.  This caffeine-infused outfit from Worcester, MA made its bones blasting their take on modern punk rock anywhere from beer-stained basements with local bands to the Mansfield MA Xfinity center with blink-182.  Their newest single “Honest,” pulls out all the stops and draws inspiration from the likes of The All American Rejects, Green Day, and other rock greats of the checkered wristband generation.  With their debut LP on the way, Planet Mercury continues to push the limits of the punk rock genre without forgetting to live loudly.

Delivering a more inclusive online experience.

Most people recognize that the World Wide Web has made it easier to manage everyday tasks, such as banking, shopping, even making travel arrangements. What many of us don’t often realize is that the way we experience websites – such as the colors, flashy photos, and links – is not the same for everyone, especially for those living with disabilities. 

Individuals with visual, hearing, motor impairments, and other challenges have very unique needs when it comes to navigating websites. Many rely on assistive technologies, such as screen readers and adaptive devices. Unfortunately these devices many not reflect some aspects of website design and content, such as photos and text treatments. For those who need to locate and use accurate information to make financial decisions or purchase products or services online, this puts them at a distinct disadvantage; the equivalent of an individual in a wheelchair attempting to access a store without handicap access.

As part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Justice Department created a set of Web Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure content be made more accessible to those with disabilities.

In 2018, Avidia Bank took a proactive role to not only to meet the new guidelines, but also to uncover new ways to make financial life easier for those living with disabilities.  “We dedicated significant resources to improve the accessibility and readability of our website, Avidiabank.com. As part of our efforts, we recruited individuals with a range of disabilities to participate in focus groups to share their opinions about their online challenges and how banks can provide a more inclusive online experience. We also conducted one-on-one usability interviews, which allowed us to observe how individuals navigate our website and gather their feedback,” said Sonia Mahnot, Digital Marketing Manager. 

As a result of these inputs, Avidia made a number of changes, including creating more descriptive links, using consistent headers on pages, and providing text descriptions on images not detected by screen readers. We also made sure all our forms are properly labeled. “Our work is just beginning. ADA compliance is always evolving, and we have a responsibility to stay educated on the latest ADA WCAG requirements. In 2019, we’ll continue to look for ways to enhance the user experience and make our website more accessible to all,” said Jessica Bonetti, AVP, Creative & Branding Manager. 

This feature is a part of a the MBG’s Inclusion & Diversity Success Story Series with the goal to share best practices, recruitment strategies, and event & program ideas that members can bring home to their breweries. Does your brewery or business have a story that they’d like to share? The MBG’s Diversity Committee wants to hear it! Reach out to MBG Executive Director Katie Stinchon at katie@massbrewersguild.org for more information.

Beer Release Helps Feed Local Families This Holiday Season

Framingham, MA– Last July, Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company and Avidia Bank released a special collaboration beer in honor of the first Demo Tape Fest and included a charitable component where both Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company and Avidia Bank agreed to contribute a total of $2.00 from each four-pack of the beer sold to the Rise Above Foundation, which serves foster children in the MetroWest area. This beer was so successful that they decided to do it again!

Liquid Tender, which was part of Exhibit ‘A’’s Demo Tape test batch series, has graduated to their regular rotation and will be brewed twice a year. Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company and Avidia Bank have pledged to give $2 from every four-pack sold donated to a MetroWest nonprofit. This holiday season, Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company and Avidia Bank are working with the United Way of Tri-County to host Pints for Pantries, the release party for Liquid Tender. This event will raise money for United Way of Tri-County’s annual Feed-A-Family campaign, which raises money to provide families in our communities with a turkey and all the trimmings for both Thanksgiving and the December holidays.  

“We are thrilled to once again partner with Avidia Bank on Liquid Tender. It’s been a great way to not only help out our community, but also bring more attention to all the great organizations that are doing great things here in the MetroWest,” said Kelsey Roth, General Manager at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company. “Working with the United Way of Tri-County on its annual Feed-A-Family campaign was a no-brainer for this time of year. Beer and food have always been great ways to bring people together. We are happy to help feed families and keep them together this holiday season.”

“After all the success from the first time we made Liquid Tender, we wanted to do it again!  United Way of Tri-County and Avidia Bank have a long standing relationship and we knew this would be something we could do together, especially for the holiday season,” said Katelin Cwieka, AVP-Social Media and Brand Communications Manager at Avidia Bank, “This is a great way we can get involved by not only fundraising in a unique way but also to help highlight the needs in our community and all the wonderful work United Way does.”  

The limited edition of Liquid Tender will be available starting on Saturday, December 1 at the Pints for Pantries release party at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company from 6:00pm-10:00pm. Tickets are $25 per person, which includes the first beer, live entertainment by Blue Light Bandit Duo, and raffles featuring Celtics tickets and a VIP tour and tasting for four people at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company along with a gift basket of merchandise. Food will also be available for purchase from Melt, a poutine food truck. Tickets can be purchased at www.uwotc.org/pints. All money raised will benefit food pantries in Framingham, Marlborough and Clinton, Massachusetts. 

“Avidia Bank and Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company are great partners of ours. We were excited when they approached us about this partnership to help raise money for local families this holiday season,” said Paul Mina, President & CEO of United Way of Tri-County. “We can’t thank companies like Avidia Bank and Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company enough for raising awareness of the thousands of families in MetroWest area that go without food for one or more meals every day.” 

Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company invited Avidia Bank and United Way of Tri-County to brew and package the beer, allowing employees from both organizations to be involved in the whole process. The beer will be available at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company and select locations in Massachusetts. For more information about Pints for Pantries visitwww.uwotc.org/pints

About Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company:
Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company is a brewery located in Framingham, MA that focuses on high quality, artisanal beers using the best ingredients.

About Avidia Bank:
Avidia Bank is a $1.5 billion community bank based in Hudson, MA with additional locations in Framingham, Westborough, Leominster, Shrewsbury, Clinton, Marlborough, Northborough and Clinton. 

About United Way of Tri-County: 
The United Way of Tri-County is a community-building organization that brings people together to care for one another. We provide programs and services, connect volunteers, and strengthen agencies to meet the critical needs of the community with the help of people like you.